Towards A Broadcasting Policy


HON MARIAN HOBBS
Minister of Broadcasting

Broadcasting Policy: Objectives and Delivery Mechanisms

6 July 2000

  1. I propose that a set of objectives be adopted by Government to guide its development of specific broadcasting policies according to the work programme agreed by Cabinet on 10 April. Aspects of these objectives can be found in the existing statutory provisions for NZ On Air and Radio New Zealand (its charter), and the statutory functions of Creative New Zealand. The objectives proposed here are consistent with these statutory remits. No such set of objectives has previously been adopted to guide the full range of Government's broadcasting policies for content.

  2. The objectives proposed here, therefore, are intended to indicate in broad terms the kinds of outcomes Government wishes to see produced by broadcasting as a whole as it develops its programme of policies. They would provide benchmarks to assess the extent to which the potential of New Zealand broadcasting to produce content was being realised. Although all broadcasters would contribute to these objectives, it may be considered that broadcasting interests owned by the state have a particular responsibility to provide impetus and to lead by example.

    Representing the uniqueness and diversity of New Zealand life, recognising that the histories and stories of whanau, hapu and iwi are integral to any description of that life;

    This objective aims to ensure that the rich and diverse reality of New Zealand life, and of the cultures making up the New Zealand population, particularly the language and culture of Maori, will be represented in broadcast content. Aspects of New Zealand life will be represented in the various genres of programming. Broadcasting will feature New Zealand performers and other artists, and contribute to the general public level of knowledge, appreciation and enjoyment of our history and culture.

    Contributing to public awareness of and participation in the political and social debates of the day

    This objective aims to address the needs of the audience as citizens. It entails the comprehensive exploration in broadcast media of current affairs, social trends, and national and international developments in politics, science, medicine and any other area where information and understanding will enhance the opportunities of all citizens to play a greater part in national or community life.

    This objective is also intended to recognise that the impact sought from broadcast content is not restricted to individual viewer-listeners, but has a multiplier effect. That is, the quality of discourse in the nation as a whole is enhanced, as ideas and views are transmitted from listener-viewers to friends, colleagues, and family members. The impact of certain broadcast content therefore will be disproportionate to the size of its audience.

    Providing for minority interests and increased choice

    This objective aims to ensure that broadcasting not only satisfies the demand of the mass audience but also addresses the interests, tastes and informational needs of the various minorities that make up that audience. It also aims to ensure that broadcasting does more to enrich the experience of the mass audience by including in programming intended for that audience material dealing with minority interests. Most viewers and listeners are at different times members of a mass audience and of specific minorities. The achievement of this objective implies a variety of special interest programming beyond what is currently available.

    In meeting this objective broadcasting policy will aim to satisfy three kinds of demand:

      Existing demand that is currently being met

      Existing demand that is not currently being met

      The demand that may be created by establishing the basis for a greater choice and variety of programming.

    Encouraging innovation and creativity in broadcasting

    This objective aims to ensure that broadcasting creates an increase in the level of local content. An increase in the level of local content would allow the provision of more programmes which would promote and support Maori language and culture.

    This objective also aims to ensure that broadcasting creates indigenous types of content, and adapts innovative forms created internationally. This entails both the development of existing genres with a New Zealand "flavour" and the creation of types of programming unique to New Zealand.

  3. It is important to note that local and international content are complementary in the achievement of each of these objectives.

  4. These objectives do not of themselves suggest any precise form of measurement for assessing the impact of broadcasting policy. They do, however, indicate how a framework of assessment might be applied. If broadcasting content is to contribute to a high level of public information and debate, for example, certain standards suggest themselves: comprehensiveness; depth and extent of inquiry; the range of issues and topics covered when compared with what is actually going on in the country.

  5. The primary usefulness of agreeing to such a set of broad objectives for broadcasting policy, however, is their function as benchmarks in determining an optimal set of delivery mechanisms and policy settings. The final section of this paper looks at the choices available to Government.

Possible Delivery Mechanisms

  1. If the objectives proposed in this paper are to be fulfilled, it is important that the mix and design of the broadcasting mechanisms are optimal. To the degree that these mechanisms are transparent, the Government will be able to understand their costs and benefits.

  2. The various policy tools used internationally to ensure the presence of desired types of content may be categorised in the following way:

      Ownership of broadcasting services by the state on behalf of the public

      Statutory functions/charters assigned to a publicly owned broadcaster

      Regulation - attaching conditions to broadcast licences; requiring specific content quotas to be met; controlling types of ownership

      Funding - made available directly to publicly owned broadcasters or through funding agencies.

    These forms of intervention may of course be used in combination.

  3. Governments also use a variety of means to fund certain types of local content:

      By a licence fee paid by the audience, allocated to a publicly owned broadcaster and/or funding body

      By direct government grant to a publicly owned broadcaster and/or funding body

      From a publicly owned broadcaster's advertising revenue or other commercial activity

      By cross-subsidisation from commercial broadcasting.

  4. In comparison with this range of possible interventions, New Zealand currently employs the following mechanisms:

    1. ownership of broadcasters (Television New Zealand Limited and Radio New Zealand Limited). In the case of Radio New Zealand, statutory programming obligations apply. The Government also has scope to direct the activities of the companies through the annual Statement of Intent. Government has not to date sought to use its ownership of Television New Zealand as a means of achieving desired forms of content;

    2. subsidies for the provision of broadcast programmes and services to meet defined policy objectives. Such funding has been disbursed through two Crown entities, NZ On Air (sometimes as required by ministerial direction) and Te Mangai Paho;

    3. reservation of radio spectrum to provide broadcasting services that may not be offered through commercial providers.

    These three mechanisms are discussed in more detail in Appendix 1.

  5. In the context of the delivery mechanisms used internationally to achieve content objectives, certain features of New Zealand's model can be noted. New Zealand has not, to date, opted to use the regulatory tool of quotas. It has opted to continue to own broadcasters, but in the case of its television company has not given it a specific remit for content. And it has established a funding agency, NZ On Air, supporting the production of programmes that may be featured by public or private broadcasters.

  6. Cabinet has now approved a work programme that will investigate how this model may be supplemented by the introduction of other measures from the international repertory of delivery mechanisms. These include a charter for Television New Zealand, and local content quotas on television and radio. Each of these forms of intervention presents a range of options for implementation and raises its own series of issues.1 I propose that, in developing advice on the implementation of these measures and specific policies in the work programme such as youth radio, officials be directed to have regard to the objectives set out in this paper.

  7. That work programme envisaged four papers being prepared to deal with these issues. Those papers were to report on:

      Youth radio
      New Directions for TVNZ
      Local Content Quota; and
      Funding.

    It is my intention that papers involving decisions by Cabinet will be considered by Cabinet in terms of the following timetable:

      Youth radio: September 2000
      New Directions for TVNZ: fourth quarter 2000
      Quota and Funding: 2001.

    Considerable work will be required in the development of these papers, including public consultation. Officials are developing the detail of these work programmes at the present time. I have instructed officials to make the New Directions for TVNZ issues, and particularly the implementation of a charter, the first priority.

  8. Although there are specific Government policy commitments, it is expected that officials will examine and report on all options available that will determine the best outcomes to achieve Government's objectives and to contribute to the promotion of Maori language and culture.

Footnote(s):

1
For example, consideration of local content quotas will require examining issues arising in the context of New Zealand's commitments under the General Agreement on Trade in Services.
   


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